Matt Tegenkamp, Two-Time Olympian, Retires From Pro Running

Matt Tegenkamp, a two-time Olympian and American two-mile record holder, has retired from professional distance running. He made his announcement on the KIMbia Athletics website less than two weeks before the February 13 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, where, until a few months ago, he’d been expected to compete. He had a 26.2-mile best of 2:12:28.

Tegenkamp, 34, noted that he has “lived 24/7, 365 days a year as an athlete” during his career. "When I started the real build-up last fall for the marathon trials, I realized I wasn’t willing to live like that anymore. I wasn’t fully vested, and that’s not what my career has been about,” he said.

Before turning to the marathon, Tegenkamp made five consecutive U.S. teams at global championships between 2007 and 2012 (three at the world championships and two in the Olympics). His best showing was a fourth in the 5,000 meters at the 2007 world championships. He was 13th in the 5,000 meters at the 2008 Olympics and 19th in the 10,000 meters in 2012.

He set the American two-mile record of 8:07.07 in 2007. With a PR of 12:58.56, he’s one of only six Americans to run under 13:00 for the 5,000 meters.

Tegenkamp ran in high school in Missouri and then at the University of Wisconsin. He later followed his Wisconsin coach Jerry Schumacher to Portland, Oregon. He became part of what is now called the Bowerman Track Club, along with Chris Solinsky and American steeplechase record holder Evan Jager. He said he thrived with “the mentality of being unafraid of having a lot of talented people around you.”

Tegenkamp is now working in product creation for Nike in Beaverton, Oregon. He took on that role part-time in 2013 and is now full-time.

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